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Tricia Vance - Teachers' lessons extend beyond schoolhouse door

Published: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 3:46 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 3:46 p.m.

Public school teachers throughout North Carolina are probably looking forward to the end of the school year as much as their students – maybe more so, given the continued assault on their profession by politicians who presume to know teachers' jobs better than the ones who are on the front lines every day.

Some of them won't be back next year. (See the column from Myrtle Grove Middle School teacher James Weldon under the Opinion web page.) That is unfortunate, because contrary to what the powers in Raleigh might say, a lot of the teachers who will walk out the door are the very people they claim they want more of in North Carolina: dedicated professionals who go above and beyond on a daily basis because they believe what they do is a calling, not just a job.

As with any profession, some are better than others, and some are still learning. It's one thing to understand the mechanics of teaching, but it can take many years to figure out how to reach students of all different abilities and learning styles. A few are burned out and should leave; they are the vast minority. The best know that they can always be better, and they continue to look for ways to improve their skills and their connection with students. They also are mentors, formally or informally, for newer teachers and the bar setters for everyone else.

Each of them possesses strengths and weaknesses, and each has the power to inspire someone. Often it may be years before they realize what their guidance meant to a particular student, until the student returns to thank them. I can't say that I returned to thank every teacher who ever inspired me, and there were plenty.

But I remember them. As a student I knew the difference between a good teacher and a mediocre one (I can recall only one appalling teacher, mainly because he didn't seem to like adolescents or his job very much.) A few stand out, for different reasons.

There was Faith Krinsky, my ninth-grade English teacher and probably the single biggest reason I eventually pursued a career that involved writing, although I loathed writing at the time. She did at least some of her master's degree work at Yale, as I recall. (Yes, this was a public high school.) She was demanding and unorthodox, and the class read books with subject matter that would render some local school boards apoplectic. She helped many of her later students learn how to get their writing published. We still keep in touch.

I still remember the name of my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hopkins, who gently guided my sobbing self back to class when I got lost on the first day of school. And Mr. Rood, whose abundant sense of humor and relaxed approach to teaching advanced American history belied a tough taskmaster. I worked very hard for that B.

Humor goes a long way in connecting with students, by the way. A European history class was team-taught by a sardonic pair who could have gone on the comedy circuit. But guess what? We learned a lot – not from rote memorization, but by analyzing letters, documents and accounts of events by the people who were there. I remember very few multiple-choice tests; by middle school essay tests were the norm, maybe because understanding a subject involves more than picking A, B, C or D.

What the best teachers had in common was that they promoted critical thinking and independent work. They challenged students to look beyond the standard lifeless textbook and to form, and articulate, their own (educated) conclusions. Many of them were unconventional – quirky, even – and while they didn't break rules, they weren't afraid to initiate lively discussions. It was all part of the learning process. I'm not sure any of them would want to teach in today's more rigid, test-centered public school universe.

As the parent of a high school student, I know that stellar teachers still exist, and that they continue to adapt to the many demands placed on them. My daughter has been fortunate to have a number of them over the past 10 years, and since most are still working I won't single anyone out. They do what they do because they love it, and they love making a difference.

I hope that she will be able to name some of those teachers when she gets to be my age, and that people with that kind of knowledge, passion and commitment continue to choose a profession that is currently under assault from all angles. We will need people with those traits more than ever.

No one gets into teaching for the paycheck, and that is doubly true now that the General Assembly is talking about eliminating the incentive for educators to obtain a master's degree or other extended education.

Those who muster their enthusiasm despite the obstacles reap their rewards from less tangible sources, such as the knowledge that they made an impact. You can't spend it, but money can't buy that kind of job satisfaction, either.

This former student and current high-school parent sends a very big thank-you to all of the people who, despite the challenges and seemingly contradictory mandates, still find joy in teaching – and who plan to come back next year and do it all again.

Keep inspiring. Rest assured that you helped some former student, somewhere, become the person they are today and the person they have yet to become. That's no small accomplishment.

<p>Public school teachers throughout North Carolina are probably looking forward to the end of the school year as much as their students – maybe more so, given the continued assault on their profession by politicians who presume to know teachers' jobs better than the ones who are on the front lines every day.</p><p>Some of them won't be back next year. (See the column from Myrtle Grove Middle School teacher James Weldon under the Opinion web page.) That is unfortunate, because contrary to what the powers in Raleigh might say, a lot of the teachers who will walk out the door are the very people they claim they want more of in North Carolina: dedicated professionals who go above and beyond on a daily basis because they believe what they do is a calling, not just a job.</p><p>As with any profession, some are better than others, and some are still learning. It's one thing to understand the mechanics of teaching, but it can take many years to figure out how to reach students of all different abilities and learning styles. A few are burned out and should leave; they are the vast minority. The best know that they can always be better, and they continue to look for ways to improve their skills and their connection with students. They also are mentors, formally or informally, for newer teachers and the bar setters for everyone else.</p><p>Each of them possesses strengths and weaknesses, and each has the power to inspire someone. Often it may be years before they realize what their guidance meant to a particular student, until the student returns to thank them. I can't say that I returned to thank every teacher who ever inspired me, and there were plenty.</p><p>But I remember them. As a student I knew the difference between a good teacher and a mediocre one (I can recall only one appalling teacher, mainly because he didn't seem to like adolescents or his job very much.) A few stand out, for different reasons.</p><p>There was Faith Krinsky, my ninth-grade English teacher and probably the single biggest reason I eventually pursued a career that involved writing, although I loathed writing at the time. She did at least some of her master's degree work at Yale, as I recall. (Yes, this was a public high school.) She was demanding and unorthodox, and the class read books with subject matter that would render some local school boards apoplectic. She helped many of her later students learn how to get their writing published. We still keep in touch.</p><p>I still remember the name of my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hopkins, who gently guided my sobbing self back to class when I got lost on the first day of school. And Mr. Rood, whose abundant sense of humor and relaxed approach to teaching advanced American history belied a tough taskmaster. I worked very hard for that B.</p><p>Humor goes a long way in connecting with students, by the way. A European history class was team-taught by a sardonic pair who could have gone on the comedy circuit. But guess what? We learned a lot – not from rote memorization, but by analyzing letters, documents and accounts of events by the people who were there. I remember very few multiple-choice tests; by middle school essay tests were the norm, maybe because understanding a subject involves more than picking A, B, C or D.</p><p>What the best teachers had in common was that they promoted critical thinking and independent work. They challenged students to look beyond the standard lifeless textbook and to form, and articulate, their own (educated) conclusions. Many of them were unconventional – quirky, even – and while they didn't break rules, they weren't afraid to initiate lively discussions. It was all part of the learning process. I'm not sure any of them would want to teach in today's more rigid, test-centered public school universe.</p><p>As the parent of a high school student, I know that stellar teachers still exist, and that they continue to adapt to the many demands placed on them. My daughter has been fortunate to have a number of them over the past 10 years, and since most are still working I won't single anyone out. They do what they do because they love it, and they love making a difference.</p><p>I hope that she will be able to name some of those teachers when she gets to be my age, and that people with that kind of knowledge, passion and commitment continue to choose a profession that is currently under assault from all angles. We will need people with those traits more than ever.</p><p>No one gets into teaching for the paycheck, and that is doubly true now that the General Assembly is talking about eliminating the incentive for educators to obtain a master's degree or other extended education. </p><p>Those who muster their enthusiasm despite the obstacles reap their rewards from less tangible sources, such as the knowledge that they made an impact. You can't spend it, but money can't buy that kind of job satisfaction, either.</p><p>This former student and current high-school parent sends a very big thank-you to all of the people who, despite the challenges and seemingly contradictory mandates, still find joy in teaching – and who plan to come back next year and do it all again.</p><p>Keep inspiring. Rest assured that you helped some former student, somewhere, become the person they are today and the person they have yet to become. That's no small accomplishment.</p><p><i></p><p>Tricia Vance is editorial page editor of the StarNews.</i></p>